Once a great festival was held in Benares, attended by both humans and non-humans. Among the latter were four gods from Tāvatimsa, wearing wreaths of kakkāru-flowers, the fragrance of which filled the town. When men wondered at the fragrance, the gods showed themselves and their wreaths. Men asked for these flowers, but the gods explained that they could only be worn by those possessed of certain virtues. The king's chaplain, hoping to deceive the gods, claimed possession of these virtues. The wreath was put on his head and the gods disappeared. The chaplain was seized with great pain in his head, but on trying to remove the wreath he found it impossible to do so. When he had suffered for seven days, the king, hoping to save his life, held another similar festival at which the gods were again present. The chaplain confessed his guilt and obtained relief.
The story was told in reference to the vomiting of blood by Devadatta when his disciples left him. v.l. Kakkdru, Takkaru. J.iii.86-90.